Adjustable scriber



Aug. 13, 1935. A. w. KEUFFEL ADJUSTABLE SCRIBER.

Filed May 17, 19315 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- ADOLF W KEUFFISZ ATTORNEY-@ a .w v

r I f & w 5 79vmmdaOZ2 $3 ADJUSTABLE SCRIBER Filed May 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ABC'DEFGH l I I INVENTOR- ADOLF I4! KEUFFEL 52 ATTORNEY-j 9 Patented Aug. 13,1935

UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE SCRIBER Adolf W. Keuifel, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Keuifcl & Esser Company, Hoboken, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1933, Serial No. 671,465 3 Claims. (01. 33-23 This invention relates to scribing devices of the kind in which a writing instrument is carried by a body member and is directed over the surface to be written upon by a tracerpin movable in character grooves formed in a template and by a tail pin movable in a groove parallel with the line of lettering.

Devices of the character described have heretofore been awkward to use, limited in theirapplication and complicated in design to counteract inherent defects.

One object of the invention is a scribing device, conveniently held in the hand, with which the writing instrument and tracer and tail pins are carried and in which the relation of the tracer pin and writing instrument are alterable whereby letters, for instance, having different degrees of inclination may be inscribed with the use of the same character grooves in the template.

Another object of the invention is a scribing device of this character whereby letters, for instance, inclined from the vertical, may be inscribed with template character grooves, also inclined from the vertical.

The invention also seeks means to adjust therelation between the writing instrument and the tracer pin whereby characters of a predetermined inclination may be selectively inscribed.

The invention also seeks a scribing device which is practical from the standpoint of ease and accuracy of manufacture and use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment and in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the scribing device of this invention and its use to inscribe vertical letters with a template having character grooves to cause the production of such vertical letters;

Figure 2 is a view showing the scribing device in plan;

Figure 3 is a view, in plan, showing the adjustable scribing instrument in such position of adjustxnent as to inscribe characters having the least angle of inclination to the vertical with a template having character grooves for the production of inclined characters;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the scribing instrument adjusted to produce characters having the maximum inclination; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and showing the means for locking the scrib ing device in adjusted position.

Referring first to Figure 1, a writing surface, such as a sheet of drawing paper or tracing cloth, is indicated at 9, carried upon, say, board ID. A scribing device indicated generally surface 9' by being guided, as

in a template IS; The scribing device is also controlled, in its movements, by a. tail pin l1 positioned in ahorizontal groovev l8, also in the The groove i8 is maintained in 15 parallel relationship with the line of lettering, say, by being guided and positioned by a straight edge, such as the T-square l9.

The scribing device comprises a body member, Figure 2, elongated and relatively narrow in M width for approximately half its length, as illustrated at 22. From this point,.- the body member increases progressively in width toward the opposite end, as at23. At the latter end, the body member has two arms 24 and 25 spaced apart where they join the body and diverging progressively. The scribing device generally, as thus described, forms the subject matter of my copending application, Serial Number 671,464 filed May 17, 1933. 30

In Figure 2, the scribing device occupies generally the position it assumes when used to inscribe characters'. The arm 24 will be referred to as the near arm since it occupies the position nearest the user and the arm 25 as the remote 35 arm since it is further away from the user when inscribing characters.

The near arm 24 is provided near its extremity with a hardened tracer pin ll fixed therein.

The end of the tracer pin I4 is received in the character grooves l5 of the template l6. These character grooves l5 are formed in the template IS in the outline of the character to be reproduced by the writing instrument. The inclination and proportions of the character grooves 45 bear a definite relationship to the angular relation of the longitudinal axis of the body II when guided by the horizontal groove, the spread of the arms 24, 25 and the desired inclination of the m inscribed characters l3.

Proximate the arms 24, 25 that portion 23 of the body which is of progressively increasing width is of increased thickness, the vertical sides 3i being plane and diverging for convenient grasp g5 follows,

the vertical as '2 between, say, the thumb and middle finger, the index finger resting on the upper surface which is conveniently slightly concave, in a transverse direction, as seen in Figure 5.

The tail pin 11 slides freely the horizontal groove I8 of the template l6 as the tracer pin in the character groove, the outline of the character being inscribed. To retain the I! in the groove l8, the extremity of the As shown, a plus or weight 38 of some heavy material, such as lead, is carried by the end. By means of the weighted end, the scribing device may be moved back and forth along the template and rotated through appreciable angles about the axis of the tail pin i1 without danger of thetail pin leaving the horizontal groove l8.

It is proposed, with the scribing device of this invention, to inscribe characters of varying heights and line thicknesses and inclination to well as vertical characters all dependent upon and the size and inclination of the character one and preferably and the elevation of the grooves in the template. While any writing instrument, a graphite or crayon pencil, for instance, may be used, there is illustrated, for convenience, a pen of the kind disclosed in' Patent Number 1,528,142 dated March 3, 1925. To reinstrument' in the desired relative position with respect to the writing surface, a raising screw 45 iscarried with the remote arm 25.

The arm 25, Figure 2, is provided with at least two or more threaded apertures 66, 41 at different distances from the pen l2. The raising screw comprises a threaded shank 48 for reception in the apertures 48, 41. It has a head 49, conveniently knurled, by which arm the surface 9, and thus the mouth of the delivery nozzle may be maintained at the proper distance above the writing surface 9. When the raising screw 45 is in adjusted position, it may be locked in that position by the lock nut ill.

- To receive the writing instrument I2, the extremity of the remote arm 25 is apertured, as at 53, Figure 3, and on the median line the arm 25 is slotted with a relatively wide slot 54 from the end inwardly on a diameter of the aperture 53, the slot terminating in an aperture 55. The bifurcated end of the arm 25 may then be drawn together by a clamping screw 56 to draw the sides tightly against a writing instrument in the aperture 53 and hold it in position.

When a small size pen is used, the raising screw is placed in the nearest aperture 48 in order that the raising screw may be as close to the pen as possible for accurately positioning the pen with respect to the writing surface. If, however, a pen is used, adapted for making a line of relatively great width, the raising screw would wipe into the letter and cause a blot. In order to avoid this, the raising screw is moved into the aperture 41 further away from the pen and thus the raising screw may be adjusted both vertically and laterally with respect to the writing instrument.

In the illustrated embodiment, formed integral with or otherwise relatively fixed with respect to the body 22, 23, while the arm 24 is relatively movable with respect to said body. In the illustrated embodiment, the arm 24 is carried on a plate-like member 60 of substantially the same general shape, in a horizontal plane, as the thickened portion 23. It is carried within t3 and 64, respectively,

pivot pin 62. A stud the writing instrument selected the arm 25 is a horizontal recess 6! in said thickened portion and is preferably removably pivoted therewith as by the screw 62. The recess has paralled upper and lower faces on the upper and lower portions and an arcuate inner end wall 85. The plate 60 is preferably somewhat wider than the portion 23 at the end carrying the arm 25 so as to allowample surface within the recess when the arm 24 is in extended position (Figure 4) for rigidity. The end of the lower wall 64 of the recess extends outwardly as at 66 and the plate portion 60 also extends out wardly of the upper wall 63 as seen in the figures.

The plate portion 60 is also formed with a slot 88, the walls of which are concentric with the 69 is seated in a vertical aperture 10 in the wall portion 63 and is retained in position by the set screw 1 I. Flush with the upper surface of the recess iii, the pin becomes of reduced diameter as shown at 12, and this portion 12 passes freely through the slot 68 and freely through an aperture 13 in the body portion below the recess GI and extends thereabout. threaded and receives a knurled clamping nut 14. Thus, when the arm adjusted position, i. e., either to the contracted position of Figures 1, 2 and 3, or the expanded position of Figure 4, or to any position of adjustmenmthe nut may be tightened and the parts clamped in adjusted position ready I on or carried with the inclined portion. An in dex 11 on the exposed part of the arm portion 60 may then be selectively brought opposite one of the graduations on the scale to adjust the spreadof the arms 24, 25 for a desired inclination of inscribed characters.

The adjustable scribing device of this invention isadapted to inscribe characters which are vertical or have an inclination to-the vertical over a range of angles of inclination up to the limit of permissible adjustment of the device and dependent, of course, upon the inclination of the character grooves'in the template selected. Thus, in Figure 1, atemplate I6 is shown in which the ii have an inclination which the scriber in-the contracted position of Figure 3, wherein the index is set, say, at l"! /2,, letters of an inclination of 17 to the vertical, as shown in Figure 3, may be inscribed. With the arms of the scriber fully opened, as shown in Figure 4, and the index set at, say, 35 and with the same template i M, characters having an inclination of 35 to the vertical may be formed. Characters having an inclination to the vertical intermediate of the extreme angles mentioned may be formed by setting the scriber index at some intermediate point on the scale and, of course, by

or use.

To facilitate adjustment of the scribing device suitably proportioning the arms and their relative angles of inclination, other than the extreme upper and lower limits mentioned, may be obtained. a

It will thus be seen that a scribing device has been provided which is' conveniently adjusted to inscribe letters or other characters having difi'erent degrees of inclination when used in conjunction with one and the same template. Also, with a suitable template, vertical characters may be inscribed when the arms are in contracted popanded positions.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and dispositon of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well as in the substitution therein or elements performing equivalent functions and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the annexed drawings.

What is claimed is:-

1. A scribing device comprising a unitary elongated body'having at one end 'a tail pin for reception in a template groove, a scribing arm carried with the scriber at the other end, means carating scale members carried with the body and respectively, to enable any desired angular adjustable arm with the scribing arm, within the range of adjustment, to be obtained.

the range of movement of said am, and cooper- 2. A scribing device comprising a unitary elongated body having at 

